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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29667183">No.22 Burned</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiGi/pseuds/LiGi'>LiGi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Febuwhump 2021 [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Burns, Caring Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), FebuWhump2021, Gen, Healing herbs, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Parent Gaius (Merlin), Post-Episode: s01e13 Le Morte D'Arthur, no 22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:27:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,161</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29667183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiGi/pseuds/LiGi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Febuwhump 2021 day 22 - Burned<br/>Gaius tends the burn Merlin got from Nimueh's fireball.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gaius &amp; Merlin (Merlin), Merlin &amp; Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Febuwhump 2021 [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137632</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>98</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>No.22 Burned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Betaed by the wonderful Onehelluvapilot, who is also writing incredibly Merlin febuwhumps, go and read them!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Hold still,” Gaius scolded as Merlin squirmed again under his hand.</p>
<p>“It hurts,” Merlin whined.</p>
<p>“Of course it does. You took a ball of fire to your chest.”</p>
<p>Gaius tutted and continued pressing the compress to the burn on Merlin’s chest, his other hand on his shoulder holding him flat down on the bed. Merlin kicked his feet helplessly, moaning as the pain seared under his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut.</p>
<p>That didn’t help; closing his eyes just made him more aware of the horrible stink of burnt skin and singed hair mixing with the sharp smell of the vinegar that Gaius was using on the compress. He wrinkled his nose and pouted up at Gaius.</p>
<p>“Yuck,” he grumbled.</p>
<p>“It will stop any infection,” the physician told him, lifting the cloth to examine the burn underneath.</p>
<p>Merlin peered down at his chest too. Nimueh’s fireball had struck him hard and the large pink burn spread over his sternum like a sunburst, the edges charred and peeling. He hissed as Gaius dabbed the cloth a few more times before removing it and fanning Merlin’s chest with one hand, letting the vinegar dry slightly.</p>
<p>Gaius sat back and picked up a bowl from the bedside table, beginning to stir the poultice in it. That one, at least, seemed to smell a lot nicer. Merlin pushed himself up onto his elbow, one hand ghosting over his chest, poking at the edge of the burn carefully to test the pain. It stung ferociously, the skin around it hot and itchy and he had to suppress the urge to give it a good scratch.</p>
<p>“Stop that.” Gaius batted his hand away with a sigh. “You are a terrible patient, my boy.”</p>
<p>“Just curious,” Merlin replied with a grin, which turned to a grimace as Gaius pushed him back down onto the bed and began spooning the poultice onto the wound.</p>
<p>“Really? I’ll make a physician of you yet.” Gaius chuckled.</p>
<p>Although he probably regretted the sentiment a moment later when Merlin stuck his finger into the bowl of poultice. He lifted the sticky finger to his nose and gave it an exaggerated sniff.</p>
<p>“Smells tasty,” he commented happily, watching as Gaius smeared it all over his chest. It stung and ached and Merlin couldn’t help shifting, involuntarily pressing his back down into the bed to try and shy away from Gaius.</p>
<p>“Honey, blackberry leaves, potato and common John’s wort. Now, stop moving!”</p>
<p>Merlin stopped wriggling and flinching to beam up at Gaius.</p>
<p>“Blackberry leaves? Does that mean you have some black<em>berries</em> too?” He curled his toes in anticipation, his mouth watering as he tried to focus on the pleasant thought rather than the pain still flaring over his chest.</p>
<p>Gaius smiled at him, giving his shoulder a small squeeze.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Merlin made a happy sound but Gaius held one finger up, his eyebrow arched as he wagged it at Merlin. “But only if you let me finish tending this without wriggling!”</p>
<p>Grinning cheekily, Merlin froze, tensing all of his muscles to stay as still as possible. Gaius gave him a stern, but fond, look, and continued spreading the poultice, making sure every inch of the pink blistered skin was covered.</p>
<p>Once he was done, he patted Merlin’s stomach.</p>
<p>“There we are, my boy.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Merlin looked down at his chest; it was covered by a splodge of dark green sticky paste, but it didn’t seem to hurt as much anymore. When he looked back up again he saw Gaius had left the room and he could hear him rinsing his hands down in the main room. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and made to stand up.</p>
<p>“Don’t you move from that bed, Merlin!” Gaius called.</p>
<p>“I’m not!” he shouted, quickly shuffling back onto the bed and lying down again, his hands behind his head.</p>
<p>Gaius’s eyes were narrowed when he came back in the room, crinkled at the sides with mirth. He sat down on the bed beside Merlin, passing over a bowl of blackberries. Merlin took it with a grin.</p>
<p>Gaius laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a small shake.</p>
<p>“I’m proud of you.”</p>
<p>Merlin ducked his eyes, a smile breaking across his face.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Gaius.”</p>
<p>Before Merlin could say any more, the door to the physician’s chambers banged open.</p>
<p>“Where’s my good for nothing manservant?” he heard Arthur call good-naturedly.</p>
<p>“Up here, Sire,” Gaius called back, patting Merlin on the knee and getting up to leave.</p>
<p>He crossed Arthur in the doorway of Merlin’s room, stopping him momentarily to check the sling holding his arm and pull the collar of his shirt away to look at the bandages still wrapped around his shoulder.</p>
<p>“I’ll redress that for you, Sire,” the physician told him and Arthur nodded his thanks. Gaius bustled downstairs.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?” Merlin asked, pushing himself more upright on the bed so he could see Arthur. The bandage peeking out from under the collar of his shirt was dotted with blood.</p>
<p>“Takes more than a Questing Beast to take me down,” Arthur said with a confident smirk, patting himself on the chest.</p>
<p>Merlin rolled his eyes. If only Arthur knew…</p>
<p>The prince came over, giving the bed’s leg a kick so Merlin was jerked slightly.</p>
<p>“What happened to you?” he asked, a worried frown pulling his brow down, even as he tried to pull his typical uncaring expression.</p>
<p>Merlin shifted guiltily, not meeting Arthur’s eye.</p>
<p>“I, uh, I had an accident…” He looked down at the mess of poultice over his chest. “With, um, a candle?”</p>
<p>“A candle?” Arthur stared at Merlin’s chest incredulously, his eyebrows now high on his forehead.</p>
<p>Merlin nodded, grimacing. “A <em>big</em> candle.”</p>
<p>Arthur shook his head, giving him the look that Merlin had learnt by now meant he thought he was an idiot.</p>
<p>“Don’t I smell good though?” he said with a grin, waving a vague hand at the sweet smelling poultice.</p>
<p>“Well, it’s better than your usual rotten vegetable and stable stink,” Arthur said with a shrug.</p>
<p>Merlin scowled at him, tugging his bowl of blackberries towards himself and stuffing a few berries in his mouth to muffle the “prat,” he shot back at Arthur.</p>
<p>“Ah, lovely,” Arthur prised the bowl from Merlin’s hand, popping a berry into his mouth with an exaggerated hum of contentment. “Mmm, these are good.” He ate a few more, ignoring Merlin’s spluttered protests and his grabs for the bowl.</p>
<p>Eventually he relented, holding a blackberry in front of Merlin’s mouth. Merlin considered biting his finger but instead just lunged forwards and licked his hand before snatching the berry between his teeth.</p>
<p>“Yuck!” Arthur wiped his hand on Merlin’s blanket, rolling his eyes.</p>
<p>Merlin couldn’t help grinning at him; the burn on his chest was completely worth it to have saved the prat’s life. He nudged him with his elbow, catching Arthur’s attention.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re still alive, cabbage head.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I love any and all comments!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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